R22 & F Gas Help

If you need advice or help please feel free to contact us on 0118 977 3011 for more information!

F-Gas Support has issued its most strongly worded information yet to companies running R22 as well as other HCFC systems, showing them 'doing nothing is not a sustainable option' in the wake of the phase out towards the end of the year. Our building service engineers can help with all aspects of this type of work.

The information from the government supported group states the case starkly: "The imminent ban represents a very real business threat to any company which uses R22 or R408A in their processing or air conditioning operations. Typical applications include refrigeration in supermarkets, blast coolers, cold stores and process coolers and many types of building air conditioning. Many of these applications are absolutely critical to the continued operation of their owners' business."

The advice RAC 8 exhorts organizations to write a strategic approach, following an evaluation of the company risk of all devices utilising HCFCs and then to decide between several simple choices: Swap apparatus; Convert it, using a retro fill or alternative refrigerant or Leave as is. But the information highlights that the third choice is only workable if there is a guaranteed stock of HCFCs or the system is not company critical. End users with crammed systems are not able to use retro fills or drop-ins it warns. We can provide a highly trained building services consultant to all our Clients to help in this area.

The instruction also includes the up to date EU laws which sees new regulations for record-keeping, leak-testing and refrigerant tracking for HCFCs. This brings the rules broadly into line with the F-Gas limitations, so anyone with R22 or R408A in their systems will now need to check for leaks every 12 months, if the charge is 3kg or above, or each and every, 6 months if it is 30kg or above. Leaks found have to be mended within two weeks and the system needs to be tested again thirty days after a leak is mended.

Like F-Gas, details of the refrigerant charge at maintenance, repair and disposal must be retained, and also the information of the business or specialist who executed the service.

The guidance also notes that new legislation changes prohibit the use of recycled HCFCs - where it has been given only simple cleaning after restoration - can only be reused by the corporation who retrieved the gas or the owner of the site and it cannot be traded.

Our experience enables us to undertake any number of roles and to provide services such as Project Management, Consultancy, Fire Engineering, Cost Control, Site Supervision, Planning Supervision and Mechanical and Electrical Design.